The meteoric rise of Jeremy Lin, from an NBA benchwarmer to a worldwide phenomenon, coined the term “Linsanity” and created one of the most unforgettable stories in sports and Asian American history.
In February 2012, the world of basketball unexpectedly went “Linsane.” Stuck in the mire of a disappointing season, the New York Knicks did what no other NBA team had thought about doing—they gave an undrafted, Taiwanese-American, third-string point guard from Harvard named Jeremy Lin an opportunity to prove himself. He took full advantage, scoring more points in his first five NBA starts than any other player in the modern era, and created a legitimate public frenzy in the process. Prior to this now-legendary run, Lin had faced adversity in his career at every turn.
Director Evan Jackson Leong began his chronicle of Lin in 2010 long before that fateful February in 2012 when the subject of his film became a full-blown media sensation. Gaining intimate access to Lin, close friends, and his guardedly private and devoutly Christian family, Leong followed the future star as he struggled to find his place in the NBA. More than just a film for basketball addicts, LINSANITY is a story of how race is perceived in the media, an inspirational account of how a strong work ethic and devotion to faith and family are what counts amid fan hysteria and fame and also serves as an insightful study of the way unlikely heroes are born and details the birth of a pop culture phenomenon in the modern technological age of instant, rapid-fire opinion.
Lindsanity Opens Friday, January 24th at Toronto’s Bloor Hot Docs Cinema